


sweet mother, i cannot weave

by gaynoorasaetre



Category: SKAM (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Bi Eva, F/F, lesbian noora, noora is a pretentious sappho reading lesbian, she sees eva and it's all really gay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-16
Updated: 2018-02-16
Packaged: 2019-03-19 07:27:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 676
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13699758
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gaynoorasaetre/pseuds/gaynoorasaetre
Summary: noora loves lesbian poetry, especially sappho. when she meets eva, she finally understands what the greek poetess sung about.





	sweet mother, i cannot weave

**Author's Note:**

> pretentious and gay bc i was in a mood! @manondemissy on tumblr!
> 
> taking most of these from anne carson's translation!

_some men say an army of horse_  
_and some men say an army on foot_  
_and some men say an army of ships_  
_is the most beautiful thing on the black earth._  
_but i say it is what you love._

As Noora sat in espresso house reading fragments of Sappho, she thought of her lesbianism. She had known she was a lesbian for years and she loved to read gay poetry from the likes of Richard Siken, Pat Parker, Marilyn Hacker, Audre Lorde. But Sappho was always her favorite. When she thought of the elusive lesbian poet for which the terms sapphic and lesbian were named, she felt nostalgic for a lost time. She thought of the courage that must have defined the lesbians and bi women of the time, a legacy she sees carried on in all the gay women around her. She thought of the beauty of gayness that only a gay person could capture in writing-- a moment in time-- the loveliness-- the way the words flowed--

Noora stopped her thoughts in their tracks. _Okay, Noora, you're being pretentious, relax._

But thinking about the gay women that came before her always got her feeling emotional. 

This was the headspace Noora was in as she sat in her corner table at Espresso House, focusing on her book. A noise caused her to lift her head up, which is when she saw a beautiful girl with red-brown hair and a denim jacket ordering a coffee. She had a pretty face and a kind aura, and Noora wanted to know her. She shook the thought, chalking these thoughts to her over-romanticization of pretty girls that was only heightened as she read her favorite gay poems. She returned to the page.

_i would rather see her lovely step_  
_and the motion of light on her face_  
_than chariots of Lydian ranks_  
_or footsoldiers in arms_

She saw movement next to her and turned only to find the pretty girl settling down next to her, taking off her coat. She realized she was staring when the girl met her gaze, smiling politely. Noora decided to try her luck.

"Noora," she held out her hand, introducing herself.

"Eva," a lovely Bergen dialect came from her mouth as she shook her hand and said, "I'm new in town. I'm starting at the University soon."

"So am I! I study journalism."

"Oh, is that what you're reading?" Eva had lovely, shy eyes that didn't quite meet Noora's gaze.

"This is Sappho, actually."

"Oh!" Eva nodded, but Noora had a feeling she wasn't actually familiar with the name.

"I love this translation. Have you read any Sappho? She was this amazing poetess from Greece. Um..." she paused. "She's really famous because she was gay."

At this, Eva finally met her gaze. "Oh!" Her eyes went down to Noora's blazer, where she proudly wore the lesbian flag. Eva laughed as she pointed to the lapel of her jacket, where there was a heart with the bi flag.

Noora and Eva grinned at each other, a happiness only known by gay women upon learning that a new friend was gay. They were a mess as they talked over each other:

"Oh my god! You should join the Skeiv Studentforum!"

"I'd love to! Oh my god! Do you know a lot of gay people in town?"

"Oh, tons!"

"That's so amazing! In Bergen--"

"Hey!" Noora couldn't hide her excitement. "Do you want to hear a few of my favorites?" she gestured at the Sappho poems.

"Yes!" Eva said, just as excitedly.

Noora read:

_oh it_  
_puts the heart in my chest on wings_  
_for when i look at you, only a moment, no speaking_  
_is left in me._

Her eyes lifted from the page and met Eva's.

_Is this how Sappho felt? ___

__She looked into Eva's green eyes and thought, yes, this is what Pat Parker and Virginia Woolf and Margaret Mead knew. And she would soon know it too.  
__  
_sweet mother, I cannot weave –_  
_slender Aphrodite has overcome me_  
_with longing for a girl_  


**Author's Note:**

> ok the last one is translation diane rayor!!!!
> 
> epilogue: they fall in love and noora writes eva a lot of gay poetry and eva doesn't know anything about poetry but she loves it!!!!!!
> 
> thank you for reading i love you


End file.
